No. 2 Razorbacks take on nation?s best in Oregon

BY ANDRES FOCIL

EUGENE, Ore. — In the finale of the 2013 collegiate season, the No. 2 University of Arkansas men’s track and field team will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships beginning Wednesday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Day one of the national meet for the Razorbacks will feature one field event final, the start of the two-day decathlon and preliminary rounds in five events on the track. Overall, Arkansas has 20 national entries at the NCAA Championships with qualifiers spread among 13 events, 17 athletes and both relay teams. The Razorbacks’ lone two-event qualifier is Tarik Batchelor who is set to compete in the long jump and triple jump. With 20 scoring chances at the national meet, the Razorbacks are tied for the most number of qualifiers in the country. “The expectation is to contend for a title,” head coach Chris Bucknam said. “I think we’ve got a good group going to Eugene. It’s just going to be a matter of executing and getting the job done. This group of athletes is having one heck of a year. I’m proud of them and my coaching staff. It’s a long season. We’ve been training since October and this is how it all culminates. This is a special group of athletes and I’m excited to get them on the track to see what happens.” Day one of the NCAA Outdoor Championships brings the first scoring chance for Arkansas with Andrew Irwin in the pole vault. The Razorbacks will also be in action in the decathlon with Kevin Lazas and Nathanael Franks. Preliminary competition Wednesday will also include Akheem Gauntlett at 400 meters, Anthony Lieghio, Leoman Momoh, Patrick Rono and Tomas Squella at 800 meters, Caleb Cross in the 400-meter hurdles, Stanley Kebenei in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the team’s 4×100-meter relay. Over the course of the four-day meet, the Razorbacks will also be represented by Batchelor, Kemoy Campbell at 5,000 meters, Dwayne Golbek in the high jump, Solomon Haile at 10,000 meters, Raymond Higgs in the long jump, Jarrion Lawson in the long jump and Anthony May II in the high jump. The Razorbacks have captured 10 NCAA Outdoor Championships team titles with the last coming during the 2003 season. One of Arkansas’ NCAA titles (1996) was won in Eugene, a 15-point margin of victory over runner-up George Mason. Individually, the Razorbacks have collected 48 NCAA outdoor event titles. Josphat Boit, 2006, was the last Arkansas athlete to win a national title. Arkansas is one of eight teams from the SEC ranked this week, and one of four inside the national top six. The SEC is also represented by top-ranked Texas A&M, No. 4 Florida, No. 6 LSU, No. 11 Georgia, No. 14 Ole Miss, No. 16 Alabama and No. 23 Mississippi State. Among the nation’s conferences, the SEC leads the way with 109 national qualifiers. In addition live results via Flash Results and an interactive blog, each day of the meet will be broadcast with coverage windows spread among Pac-12 Live Stream, ESPN3.com, WatchESPN and ESPNU. For more information regarding Razorback track and field or University of Arkansas athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com. Fans can also keep up with Arkansas cross country and track and field through the team’s sport-specific RazorbackTF Facebook and Twitter pages.NCAA Championships Qualifiers Tarik Batchelor — Long Jump, Triple Jump Kemoy Campbell — 5,000 Meters Caleb Cross — 400m Hurdles Nathanael Franks — Decathlon Akheem Gauntlett — 400 Meters Dwayne Golbek — High Jump Solomon Haile — 10,000 Meters Raymond Higgs — Long Jump Andrew Irwin — Pole Vault Stanley Kebenei — 3,000m Steeplechase Jarrion Lawson — Long Jump Kevin Lazas — Decathlon Anthony Lieghio — 800 Meters Anthony May II — High Jump Leoman Momoh — 800 Meters Patrick Rono — 800 Meters Tomas Squella — 800 Meters 4x100m Relay 4x400m RelayBroadcast/Webcast Schedule (all times CT) Wednesday, June 5 2-10 p.m. — Pac-12 Live Stream Thursday, June 6 1-5:50 p.m. — Pac-12 Live Stream 5:50-10 p.m. — ESPN3.com / WatchESPN Friday, June 7 2:30-6:30 p.m. — Pac-12 Live Stream 6:30-9 p.m. — ESPNU / WatchESPN Saturday, June 8 2:30-4 p.m. — Pac-12 Live Stream 4-6 p.m. — ESPNU / WatchESPN